Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca

66 reviews

mary_magdalyn's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Hate crime, and Gore

awesomevie's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I felt like there was a lot going on for such a short book, I didnt see the need for the hate crimes along with the other aspects of the story. They didn't seem like they had a whole lot to do with eachother. The ending was wholesome

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Hate crime, Rape, and Sexual violence

Minor: Racial slurs

sleepysage_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Rape, and Homophobia

starsiren's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

This is the first Eric LaRocca that I've read. I really wanted to like this, since it was very highly recommended by reviewers that I trust. The concept was something I could get behind, missing people, a cult, rituals, exploding heads, LGBTQ+ characters. But the writing itself came across as really simplistic and juvenile, while simultaneously overwrought with prose. Well, juvenile until graphic violence begins, that is. I generally have a pretty strong stomach when scenes like these appear, and it wasn't particularly the content of the scenes that bothers me. It felt like the characters upon whom the violence was meted out were only part of the story so that they could BE abused. Maybe I'll re-read it in a year to see if I still feel the same.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Excrement, Torture, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

migawoo's review

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

I bought this book because I was a fan of LaRocca's "Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke" and because the book looks minimalistic and attractive. Sadly, the book is quite boring and the way the story came together was not satisfying at all. The main character "Ghost" is edgier than Kaz Brekker and there are way too many plot holes to count. The characters don't make sense in their own right. I do want to keep reading this author's other book, but this one was a big miss for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Ableism, Sexual assault, Violence, Homophobia, and Hate crime

bibliograflieg's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Excrement, Rape, Homophobia, Grief, and Violence

Moderate: Pedophilia and Car accident

Minor: Islamophobia

lord_lut's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Grief

amb_leigh's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Hate crime, Kidnapping, and Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Grief, Blood, and Excrement

rebekahmccubbins's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I went into this book excited - I picked it up after seeing multiple recommendations in lists of queer horror novels. And I really wanted to like it.  I'm genuinely confused as to how this book was published. 

The author clearly enjoys flowery prose, which is fine when done well. But this was painful to read. Every third sentence was a simile or over-description, making it hard to keep track of what's actually happening in the story. The plot felt half-baked, and the details were confusing. I found myself constantly asking, 'why?'. The characters' motivations didn't feel reasonable.

And the extremely graphic violence against Malik and Brett felt uncalled for. Frankly, that subplot never tied in to a degree that felt justified. So I was left feeling that the author just... WANTED to torture and decimate a gay couple (confusing, because by all accounts, he is gay). 

I can't in good faith recommend this story to anyone. If you do choose to read, good luck. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Ableism, Medical content, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Grief, Hate crime, Gun violence, Cursing, Classism, Confinement, Blood, Biphobia, Stalking, Kidnapping, Rape, Homophobia, Excrement, Violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

kodiskye's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Sexual violence, Homophobia, and Rape